I am reading a book right now "Eat, Love,Pray". It is about a woman who had a rough break-up of her marriage and is a quest to find...her life again. First she stops in Italy, that is the "eat" part of the book. Now I am at the part she is in a ashram in India. A disclaimer: I am not Buddhist, nor do I fully understand what all they believe, but I love a lot of the views this author expresses about who she believes God is and what He desires for her life. I am a firm believer God can speak truth through whomever he chooses and pass on wisdom in any way He desires.
There is a part in the book where she commits to spending an hour in meditation, listening to God. She chooses a bench in the garden to sit on and soon is swarmed by mosquito's. As she sits quietly, she considers giving up and going someplace else until she realizes that is what she always does when she is uncomfortable, she runs.
This got me thinking, as good books will do, how much of my life is spent in pursuit of "being comfortable?". I watch t.v so I don't face the discomfort of boredom. I buy stuff so I don't have the discomfort of making do. I lie or mislead so I don't have the discomfort of shame. I choose not to see the needs of others so I don't feel whatever discomfort they may be suffering. I choose to eat food I know isn't in my best interest so I don't feel the discomfort of going without. I don't take care of my physical body like I should so I don't face the discomfort of the gym. Sometimes I am so completely disgusted by my own human condition I just want to ...give up.
This is where I like to believe God steps in and show me another way to live. A way of life that chooses not what easiest but what matters most. This is where I lay down my selfish need for human comforts, not on the alter of masochism, but at the feet of a Savior who hopes to give me something great if only I stop feeding my narcissism.
This seems like a battle I can't ever win. Each day, each hour, each minute I must choose to live by faith alone that discomfort offers a greater payout than I can ever grasp. So I call someone who is hurting to share there pain. I give money we can't afford and pray over a child in a country I will probably never visit. I spend time serving those who will never return the favor. I choose to lay down my pride and do things that "are not my job".I invite others over to my house that will never be perfect or clean enough and sacrifice my "got it all together" face. I make my life about something other than me, something bigger, something eternal.
There is a part in the book where she commits to spending an hour in meditation, listening to God. She chooses a bench in the garden to sit on and soon is swarmed by mosquito's. As she sits quietly, she considers giving up and going someplace else until she realizes that is what she always does when she is uncomfortable, she runs.
This got me thinking, as good books will do, how much of my life is spent in pursuit of "being comfortable?". I watch t.v so I don't face the discomfort of boredom. I buy stuff so I don't have the discomfort of making do. I lie or mislead so I don't have the discomfort of shame. I choose not to see the needs of others so I don't feel whatever discomfort they may be suffering. I choose to eat food I know isn't in my best interest so I don't feel the discomfort of going without. I don't take care of my physical body like I should so I don't face the discomfort of the gym. Sometimes I am so completely disgusted by my own human condition I just want to ...give up.
This is where I like to believe God steps in and show me another way to live. A way of life that chooses not what easiest but what matters most. This is where I lay down my selfish need for human comforts, not on the alter of masochism, but at the feet of a Savior who hopes to give me something great if only I stop feeding my narcissism.
This seems like a battle I can't ever win. Each day, each hour, each minute I must choose to live by faith alone that discomfort offers a greater payout than I can ever grasp. So I call someone who is hurting to share there pain. I give money we can't afford and pray over a child in a country I will probably never visit. I spend time serving those who will never return the favor. I choose to lay down my pride and do things that "are not my job".I invite others over to my house that will never be perfect or clean enough and sacrifice my "got it all together" face. I make my life about something other than me, something bigger, something eternal.
Comments
Interesting thought on the pursuit of comfort. Might have to ponder that some more. You are such a smarty :-)
Tell Elie to give baby Suzy a kiss for me. Lord help that baby if it turns out to be a boy baby Suzy ;-P